Roy J. McFatter

Roy J McFatter, age 85, passed peacefully into the presence of the Lord on Monday, March 9th, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. A devoted husband, loving father, cherished grandfather, great grandfather and faithful friend, he lived a life that reflected his deep and unwavering faith in God.

He was the son of the late George William McFatter and Eunice Overbee McFatter. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Alma Woodard McFatter; sons, Tony McFatter (Lena) and Dempsey McFatter (Crystal); grandchildren, Andrew (Michelle), Joshua (Courtney), Nick (Katie), Colby and Shelby; great grandchildren, Brantlee, Brooks, Leighton, Ledger, Adeline, Gracelyn, Jase, Wendy and Clay; a special granddaughter, Jadyn Lindsay, his “China Doll”; and a large extended family and friends. He was also preceded in death by sisters, Victoria Gurley and Emma Phillips; and brothers, Louis, Doug and Andrew McFatter.

For all who knew him, Roy was truly a mighty man of God. His faith guided every part of his life, and he shared that faith through kindness, wisdom, and a servant’s heart. He believed deeply in loving others, and he welcomed friends as though they were family. Many were blessed by his encouragement, prayers, and steady example of what it meant to walk faithfully with the Lord.

At the center of his life was his beloved family. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Alma McFatter, for over 64 years and a proud and loving father to Tony & Dempsey. Roy also gained, through his sons, two daughters Lena and Crystal that he loved unconditionally and made sure they knew it. His grandchildren & great grandchildren brought him immense joy, and he treasured every moment spent with them. His home was a place of warmth, laughter, faith, and unconditional love for all his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Those who knew him will remember his strength of character and the way he always guided others toward hope and faith. His legacy lives on through the family he loved so deeply and the countless lives he touched with his compassion and devotion to God.

Roy's early years growing up were spent in North Carolina as the son of a cotton, tobacco and corn farmer. Those were hard years but were years that he loved to reminisce about, and his early life really instilled a strong work ethic that he passed on to his sons. He spent many years after second shift in the shipyard and weekends packing up his family to return home to North Carolina to work with his parents harvesting the tobacco fields. Roy served in the National Guard for a number of years. In preparation for the National Guard, he spent six months at Fort Jackson in South Carolina and spoke often about the training he received there. He was employed with Newport News Shipbuilding for 38 years and retired as a general foreman in 1999. He also owned his own painting business with a friend as a second job for many of those same years he was employed in the shipyard. He served as a Gideon alongside his wife with Gideons International since March 2000. He was a faithful member of Smithfield Assembly of God for 36 years and also served on the deacon board for over 20 of those years as well as taught Sunday School and worked in many other ministries in the church. He also attended Grace Covenant (formerly Rock Church) in Hampton, Va. Roy was an avid hunter and fisherman and absolutely loved the outdoors. You could often find him in his backyard feeding his birds (especially his hummingbirds), squirrels and other animals. Roy loved gardening and enjoyed growing vegetables over the years with his cherished neighbors and friends. There was never a lack of fresh vegetables on the Sunday afternoon dinner table as well as year-round as he and Alma would can and freeze what he harvested. He absolutely loved spending time with his grandchildren and his great grandchildren as they brought him so much joy.

Though he will be deeply missed, his family finds comfort in knowing that he is now at peace in the presence of the Lord he faithfully served throughout his life.

A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, March 14th, 2026. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. followed by the service at 11 a.m. at Little’s Funeral Home in Smithfield, Virginia. A graveside service will immediately follow at St. Luke's Cemetery in Smithfield, Virginia.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in his honor to Smithfield Assembly of God and/or Gideons International. Online condolences may be registered at www.littlesfuneralhome.com